The Hawks have reached the halfway mark of the lockout-truncated 48-game campaign without a loss in regulation and begin the stretch run toward the postseason with a 21-0-3 record and 45 of a possible 48 points. While that sounds ethereal, Toews stuck with a conventional theory to outline what has been going right since the season opener Jan. 19 in Los Angeles.

"It's just work ethic and it's the depth of our team kicking in," Toews said. "We're working for every little chance we get and every little piece of offense and we're playing smart in our own zone. We're really playing a complete game."

That isn't nearly as much fun as envisioning team ambassadors Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito, Bobby Hull and Denis Savard using wood hockey sticks as magic wands to cast spells to help the Hawks get off to one of the greatest starts in professional sports history, but goaltender Ray Emery also took a grounded approach like his mere-mortal teammate.

"Part of the secret is that we just refocusing and taking it game by game," Emery said. "We're not cheating or getting ahead of ourselves because we're doing well. We're respecting our opponents and playing by the system we want to play."

That system, which includes contributions from every player on the roster and seemingly a different hero each game, has helped the Hawks reel off a franchise-record 11 consecutive victories and secure at least one point in the first 24 games — 30 dating to last season.

"Good teams find a way to win and for that you can't rely on two, three, four guys every night to score," Carcillo said. "You're back end has to score and your goalies have to play great and guys have to step up."

Added Emery: "It's exciting when you get contributions from different guys. That's what a team is about."

Along with coach Joel Quenneville, the leaders in the dressing room won't allow focusing on anything other than the next game, which will come Friday against the Avalanche at the Pepsi Center.

"We're staying very realistic, knowing if we don't keep working and doing the right things we're not going to have the same success," team captain Toews said. "We've said all along our No. 1 priority is just building ourselves as a team to be the best we can be later in the season and postseason.

"You want to win every game and give yourself a chance. Most of the time it's not realistic to think you're going to win every night but we're playing great."